Policemen at Parvaiz Elahi’s residence in Lahore as crackdown on Imran Khan’s party continues

By India Today World Desk: Amid the Pakistani government’s crackdown on Imran Khan’s Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf, Punjab police have arrived at the Lahore residence of PTI Chairman Parvaiz Elahi, who is facing arrest in a corruption case.

Elahi could be arrested in the case related to irregularities in development projects launched during his tenure as Punjab’s chief minister, Dawn reported.

The PTI leader applied to a Lahore court to request pre-arrest bail in the case, but the court dismissed his statement, according to the report.

Last month, police had launched a nightly raid on Elahi’s residence to arrest him, but officers were unable to find him.

“Strongly condemn the illegal raid on Parvez Elahi’s house with no respect for the women and family members present. We are seeing the dismantling of democracy in Pakistan before our eyes,” Iman Khan said at the time.

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In recent weeks, several PTI leaders and workers have faced arrest over the violent protests that broke out on May 9 following the dramatic arrest of Imran Khan in a corruption case.

Earlier in the day, Khan accused the government of trying to dismantle his party by trying workers in military courts, as several top leaders resigned in the face of intense government repression.

So far, Fawad Chaudhry, Dr. Shireen Mazari, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Malik Amin Aslam, Mahmood Moulvi, Amir Kayani, Jai Prakash, Aftab Siddiqui and Sanjay Gangwani among many others have left Imran Khan’s party.

READ ALSO | ‘Forced Divorces’: Imran Khan Blames Pak Government As Top Leaders Quit Party Over Violent Protests

It all started when Imran Khan was arrested by paramilitary Pakistan Rangers in a corruption case while at the Islamabad High Court premises on May 9, sparking nationwide riots.

For the first time in Pakistani history, protesters stormed the Army Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and also torched the house of a corps commander in Lahore. Mazari had condemned the violent protests. The PTI later condemned the violent protests.

READ ALSO | Another aide abandons Imran Khan as Pak govt continues crackdown